


The Greatest Servant

by Aer



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen, I think I went a bit crazy while writing this, LS Sith Warrior, That's really my only explanation for this, Time Travel, author throws a sith shaped wrench into the plot, that has a temper like whoa, what even
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-05
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-05-31 09:54:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6465727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aer/pseuds/Aer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where the Jedi were a few hours later in confronting Palpatine, Sidious had enough time to try a ritual he had found in an old holocron that was supposed to summon a servant of the Emperor. He thought that would mean Anakin- but what he got, as it turns out, was something else entirely. Andrjin just wishes Emperors with god complexes would leave her alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pomegrenadier](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pomegrenadier/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Redshift](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5025610) by [pomegrenadier](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pomegrenadier/pseuds/pomegrenadier). 



> So, I read Redshift by pomegrenadiar and my immediate reaction of "What would happen if that happened to MY sith warrior" swiftly snowballed into "what is the one place I could most fuck up canon by dropping a time traveling sith warrior into?" This was the result.

Darth Sidious drew on the Force, carefully channeling it into the holocron at the center of the ritual. He could almost _feel_ the question curl through the Force, the holocron’s rudimentary intelligence inquiring exactly what he wished. _‘The greatest servant of the emperor’_ , the aging man thought fiercely, channeling even more of his strength into the ritual. The device flowered open under his demand, unfolding into a complex structure. Sidious was beginning to sweat under the strain of pouring the Force into the seemingly endless vessel of the holocron, but he continued, for the reward he would gain would be priceless. A servant fit for the greatest of Emperors. A servant fit for _him_. 

He had spent a long time working on corrupting the Jedi’s precious Chosen One, but the stubborn brat just wouldn't take the last step. Sidious knew that the boy had been receiving Force visions of his wife’s tragic death (a possible future, but one Sidious had been encouraging for all he was worth), but Skywalker just would not reach out to the Dark side, even with all of his “kindly mentor’s” prodding. And without that, the boy was useless to him. If the ritual called him, then Sidious would no doubt be able to turn him. If not… Well, then there had been no need for him in the first place, and Sidious would have someone even better than the so called Chosen One. 

The Sith Lord was pulled from his thoughts by a noise emanating from the holocron that was the center of the ritual. A vortex was beginning to form in the Force, distorting the air around it, and Sidious pushed even harder. He _would_ have his servant. He would not be denied. With that last flood of strength, the vortex finally opened fully, and not a moment too soon it seemed, as he felt the Force signatures of several Jedi heading his way. A spot of light grew within the portal, and at last, his servant stepped forth. The vortex collapsed, the holocron snapping shut as he cut off the flow of power that had been fueling it, and allowed himself to take in the being he had summoned. 

The being appeared female, though the heavy dark armor she wore obscured much of her body from view. But her face was bare, and Sidious had to force himself not to gape as he took in the high, striking cheekbones, molten orange eyes, and rich, red skin of what could only be a Red Sith, beings that had long been thought extinct. Yet one stood in front of him. Sidious felt a pleased smile stretch across his face. Oh yes, she would do _very_ well. 

The Sith stood still, eyes coolly studying him, a lightsaber gripped firmly in her hand, though she had not yet lit it. Sidious graciously allowed her a moment to collect herself before standing and striding towards her. The moment he did so, however, the lightsaber in her hand ignited. 

“Who are you?” 

He stiffened at the disrespect in her low, even tones, the demand flavored with an accent he could not identify. As both the Lord of the Sith, and the Chancellor of the Republic, he had long been accustomed to being treated with nothing but the utmost respect from everyone he encountered. So having someone summoned specifically to serve him behave in such a way infuriated him. Sidious took a moment to compose himself; she would learn soon enough. In the meantime, he supposed, she should know her master’s name. 

“I am Darth Sidious, Lord of the Sith.” He answered proudly, expecting her to immediately understand exactly who she was dealing with. He did _not_ expect for those orange eyes to roll in derision. 

“Well, you are obviously not an apprentice, so Lord is to be expected. What I want to know is exactly who you _think_ you are, to be calling on me. For that matter, where are we?” She glanced around. “This does not appear to be Dromund Kaas, which is where I would think a fool like you would live.” 

Sidious bit back a snarl. Forget allowing her time to become accustomed to the circumstances. He would _not_ allow such behavior in his _servant_. He flung out a hand crackling with Force lightning, planning to teach her exactly what her place was. 

He did not expect her to flip up her lightsaber and one handedly catch the energy on the blade. The energy crackled around the plasma, but did not touch her, and after a moment longer, he let the electricity fade away, still tired from the earlier feat of summoning her. She snorted at him, letting the lit blade lower until it was resting by her side, the tip almost on the floor. He was not fooled by the apparent relaxation; her eyes were sharp as they watched him. 

The standoff was tense. She was still taking his measure. He was contemplating ways to make her submit. Neither were willing to back down. 

Of course, that was when the Jedi barged through the door. 

**********

Mace Windu could hardly believe what was going on. A Sith was here, on Coruscant, and worse, was the Chancellor of the entire Republic. Today was not looking good for the Order. He strode confidently into the Chancellor’s chambers, and saw the man himself standing there. Something trite spilled from lying lips. Mace ignored it. 

The Jedi Master drew out his lightsaber, intoning confidently, “In the name of the Galactic Senate of this Republic, you are under arrest, Chancellor.” He spat the title. Something flickered in the shadows in the corner of his eye, but he ignored it in favor of watching a snarl twist the Sith’s face. 

“Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?” 

Again, Mace ignored it. “The Senate will decide your fate.” 

Palpatine growled. “I _am_ the Senate.” 

The Jedi forced his tone to remain calm and implacable. “Not yet.” He clipped out. 

A lightsaber appeared in the Sith’s hand. “It's treason, then.” He purred. The lightsaber ignited and suddenly the aged man was arrowing through the air, much faster than one would expect. The red blade clashed with Agen’s and swiftly gutted him. Ignoring his grief for now, Mace threw himself into the fray, feeling his fellows follow. The man was good, much better than he’d thought, and it was taking all of his concentration to keep up. One of the other Jedi cried out in pain, and he heard a body fall, but he forced myself to ignore it and pressed the attack- 

_**“Enough.”**_

Mace froze. He couldn't help it. That single word, imbued with the Force and accompanied by a shudder that shook his very bones, allowed him nothing else. His only saving grace was that it had frozen his opponent as well. Lightsabers dropped from suddenly nerveless fingers and extinguished themselves against the floor. Everything was still. Then, from the shadows he had ignored only minutes earlier, stalked a dark, armored figure, clearly the source of the command. Mace felt his heart drop. 

In their hand was a gleaming red blade. 

“There’s more of you?” He forced out through numb lips. The figure stepped into the light, revealing- Mace stared- ruby red skin, and dark red hair that the figure, now unmistakably female, wore in a tight bun at the back of her head. She snorted. 

“I am _nothing_ like him.” She declared, before abruptly sobering. _**“Now,”**_ her voice filled with the Force in an unplacable command again. _**“Will someone kindly tell me what is going on?”**_

She clearly had no intention of letting them go, or for that matter, letting them do anything but speak, so Mace spoke. 

“What do you mean?" 

Her face- that red, red skin bothered him, he knew it from somewhere- twisted in a scowl of frustration. 

“He calls himself a Lord of the Sith, yet you called him Chancellor of the _Republic_.” She gestured at Palpatine. “So, where are we, for one?” 

“Coruscant.” Mace replied, puzzled. Surely she should know that. She gaped at him for a moment, before schooling her face back into neutrality. The dark skinned Jedi concentrated- he could feel feeling coming back into the tips of his fingers, perhaps he could hurry the process- 

_**“What.”**_ And he felt himself freeze again and cursed inwardly. “That’s the capital of the Republic!” She rounded on Palpatine. “What in the name of the Force is a Sith doing _here_?” 

“Taking it over.” Palpatine spat out, clearly compelled. “To make it into an Empire and rule forever as its Emperor.” She blinked. 

“Then why did you simply not take over the Empire?” She inquired, appearing completely sincere. “You claim to be a Darth, so when Arcann attacked you should have been able to lay claim to a Dark Council seat at the least.” She continued, clearly thinking out loud. “I would almost think you were a Child of the Emperor- but no, you say you are a Darth, and openly so…” Her eyes refocused, pinning the Sith with a molten orange glare. “Yet you hold a Republic office. How, exactly, did you call me here?” The woman demanded. Mace was almost in awe of her ability to force even another Force user to speak the truth, which Palpatine clearly did not want to do. 

The man croaked out, “The holocron. I opened it, told it to bring me the greatest servant of the Emperor. You came through.” 

Mace suddenly noticed the small, unassuming looking device that lay on the Sith’s desk. It looked plain, but when he felt it, it _reeked_ of the dark side so strongly he felt dirty just having sensed it. Their interrogator eyed it, understanding suddenly dawning on her face. Her eyes widened, and she hissed out, _**“Where did you get that?”**_

“An old archive.” Palpatine sounded rather smug at that- and if such a thing could truly bring someone so powerful to his side (because she was keeping two Jedi Masters and the Master of the Sith frozen without visible effort, which was no mean feat), Mace had to reluctantly admit he had reason to be. 

Her face froze, eyes wide, before they abruptly narrowed. “It seems I have been asking the wrong questions.” Her eyes moved back to Mace. “What is the date and year?” Though puzzled, he named the requested information and she paled, the rich red of her skin fading. 

“So the Great Galactic War?” 

“Isn't that just a legend?” Mace replied, confused. She laughed, high and sharp and bitter, and turned back to Palpatine, who actually had a look of dawning comprehension on his face. 

“Tell me what happened to the Sith.” She demanded. 

“There are two of us, a master and apprentice. We work in secret to bring down the Jedi.” 

Mace frowned. “Aren't you the apprentice?” There were only two Sith, after all, and shouldn’t that mean that both were standing in front of him? 

She snorted. “I haven't been an apprentice for a very long time, and I would _never_ apprentice to one such as _him_.” Their captor turned back to the other Sith. “What happened to the Empire?” She demanded. 

He frowned, clearly trying not to answer. Her eyes narrowed and she reached out with the Force, one hand twisting the air. Palpatine froze, a choked breath hissing through the air. _**“Tell me.”**_

“There is no Empire.” 

The floor dropped out from under them as the room was suddenly flooded with pure, unadulterated dark side. 

**********

Andrjin drew in a shaky breath as the anger that had slowly been rising in her over the course of the ridiculous, insane conversation abruptly exploded into pure fury. The beings she had been holding with the Force paled dramatically as the dark side began to swirl around her. Andrjin couldn't bring herself to care. 

“You mean to tell me,” the Sith began slowly, softly, her voice rising to a thunder, “That the Empire I fought for, bled for, and nearly died for, is _gone_? The Empire I fought to make stronger, better, that I served one mad emperor and killed two more for was _**destroyed?**_ ” Her voice shook with the force of her rage, as for once in her life she allowed her emotions free reign instead of bottling them for later use. Right now, even an attempt at bottling them would result in nothing but a more compressed explosion. 

She turned a glare on the man that had brought her here. “And you tell me that the Republic won- that the Republic _betrayed_ us?” She had forged an alliance, fought the Eternal Empire, sacrificed everything she loved- and _this_ was her reward? To be summoned through time by an idiot Sith that thought playing with holocrons created by Vitiate was a good idea and then expected her to serve him? He clearly hadn’t read to discover exactly _who_ the holocron was supposed to summon. 

“What-” One of the Jedi started, and she froze him with another wordless snarl. This was all such _bullshit_ she couldn’t even believe it. 

The Sith drew himself up as much as he could. “The Republic was too strong to openly fight- until now. I called you that you could help me, help the _Sith_ , finally triumph over the Jedi once and for all. Their precious Republic will become the new Empire.” He clearly thought he had made a convincing argument and expected for her to help him- to _serve_ him. And to a more power-obsessed, revenge driven Sith, it might have. Unfortunately for him, he had managed to hit most of Andrjin’s berserk buttons. She growled. 

“A pretty speech. But unfortunately for you, I _serve **no one.”**_ She reached out a hand and clamped the Force around his throat, sneering a little when his struggles completely failed to even dent her hold on him. And this weakling was considered the most powerful Sith in the galaxy? 

His face was purpling- probably at least partly in rage, she thought with a tiny burst of amusement, and was close to falling unconscious when the Force screamed a warning. The Sith crumpled in a heap on the floor as she dropped him, whirling and bringing her lightsaber up. One of the Jedi- the dark skinned human- had fought free of the Force hold Andrjin had had on him while she was distracted by her fury at the other Sith, and his purple blade was slicing down at her unprotected back. She caught the lightsaber on her own and pushed him back, bringing one foot down in a Force-enhanced stomp that crackled across the floor in a miniature earthquake. He was flung backward, and she was ready to bring her lightsaber down- because Andrjin was so _damn tired_ of trying to talk sense into Jedi that would rather kill a Sith than even contemplate that she might have a point- when the doors opened again. And in walked another Jedi. 

_Fantastic._

**********

Mace struggled to stand, his vision blurring from the hit but feeling at last a spark of hope as he realized that Skywalker had walked in. Kitt, unfortunately, was unconscious behind him, having been thrown backwards and into the wall. The female Sith was horrendously strong, an even better fighter than Palpatine, but Anakin was a great fighter himself. They might have a chance of winning, especially since the two Sith seemed disinclined to work together. “Anakin,” He gasped. “Thank the Force you’re here, Palpatine is stronger than we thought, and there’s another Sith. We’ll need to work together to take them down.” The younger Jedi nodded, his eyes distant. 

“Palpatine will stand trial?” He asked, a strange note of urgency in his voice. 

Mace was about to respond when a sudden clash of lightsabers broke into their conversation and interrupted his own attempt to rise to his feet. Palpatine had taken the other Sith’s distraction as a chance to reclaim his own lightsaber, and the two were dueling, red sparks flying from each clash of their bloody looking blades. “I will be Emperor! You will obey me!” The man howled, and was met only with a derisive laugh from the woman he fought. Despite his grandiose words, it was obvious he was losing ground fast to his younger, stronger opponent. “You will be my greatest servant.” He insisted, his voice becoming cajoling. “I will take you as my apprentice, and you will rule at my side. I will give you anything you desire.” The purr of his voice was rather ruined by the harsh noise of their blades, and the woman he dueled simply snorted before lashing out with a palm, blasting him backwards. He tumbled to the ground, his lightsaber falling from limp fingers as she stalked forward. 

Palpatine scrambled backwards. “You were supposed to be mine- my greatest servant. The greatest servant an Emperor could have.” 

The woman’s face was emotionless as she looked down at him. “Unfortunately for you, the greatest does not mean the most loyal.” She raised her arm, the blade poised above his chest. 

“ _NO!_ ” The word tore from Anakin’s lips as he ran forward, his own blade out and angled for her arm, ready to slice it off at the wrist. The Sith jerked her arm back, and the two blades met harmlessly. She lashed out with a kick that sent him tumbling backwards, and barely angled her blade in time to catch the blast of lightning that Palpatine sent at her chest. The purple energy crackled against the red plasma for several seconds, the man’s face becoming steadily more sunken and wrinkled as he drew on the dark side to fuel the desperate attack. He finally fell back, panting. 

“I am too weak,” the Sith moaned. The woman turned from him to look at Anakin. 

“Don’t kill him.” The young man pleaded, having finally caught his breath after her brutal kick. The skin above her eye wrinkled in a clear mimic of raising an eyebrow. 

“He is a Sith. You are a Jedi. At worst, you should be cheering at my killing him, at best trying to kill him yourself.” She snorted. “It’s not like you ever want to actually talk things out peacefully. Hypocrites.” Mace thought he could hear her mutter. 

“I need him.” Anakin’s voice was raw. “He promised to save Padmé. That he could keep her from dying.” Mace frowned to himself. The Senator from Naboo? What did she have to do with anything? 

That was when his body had finally had enough and succumbed to the unconsciousness that had been threatening since the Sith threw him into the wall. 

********** 

The red skinned Sith actually laughed at that. Anakin bristled at the mocking tone. “If he promised anything, I can guarantee that it was a lie.” She gestured with her blade at the man lying prone beneath her. “I have met Sith like him before. They will say anything if it will get them what they want.” 

“Aren’t you a Sith too?” Anakin demanded. She actually smiled at that, as if the question amused her. Anakin really wanted some answers. 

“Yes, I am, both by blood and training.” She inclined her head calmly. “My name is Andrjin Iné, and I was the Emperor’s Wrath, back when Sith ruled an Empire great enough to oppose the Republic and win.” Anakin gaped, because he'd thought that a Sith Empire was just a myth. “An Empire that is long gone, thanks to actions of fools like this.” She glared down at Palpatine. “And it is because I was Emperor’s Wrath that I know exactly what it takes to bind a being to life; you are a fool to wish that upon anyone, even your worst enemy.” 

“You just admitted you were a Sith- why should I trust anything you say?” Anakin demanded. The woman- Andrjin, apparently, and wasn’t that a strange name- eyed him with eyes that were cold, despite their heated orange. 

“Can you read someone’s feelings through the Force?” She inquired. “I am willing to drop my shields if I must, to prove that I am sincere.” 

What? Anakin frowned, trying to detect any hint of deception in her words. He could find none. This Sith, this complete stranger, was completely willing to allow him access to her very mind if it would help him to understand. He gulped. “I can, if you are willing to let me in. It’s not something I’m very good at.” The Jedi admitted with a dull flush of red. 

She nodded. “Few are. I have found most Jedi are afraid to teach their students the art of understanding other people’s most inner thoughts and emotions.” There was a wry twist to her lips. “Personally, I think many of them are afraid of what would be found should their lessons be turned back upon them.” Anakin refrained from commenting- he had many an uncomplimentary thought about the Order himself, but he felt he probably shouldn’t be agreeing with someone who was nominally still an enemy. 

“Reach out for me. Do not attack, simply try to understand.” She instructed calmly. “I will not resist.” 

Anakin resisted the urge to close his eyes- this could still be a trap, despite the feelings he was already getting from her. She could be simply trying to lure him into a trap- but he had to know. He needed to know the truth, whether that truth was that Palpatine had lied or not. He had to know if he could save Padmé. He reached out through the Force, feeling Master Windu blazing like a restrained star. He shuddered at the cold, slimy feel of Palpatine, wondering how he could have never felt anything like this from the man before, and finally found the one he was looking for. 

Andrjin felt nothing like he had expected her to, her Force presence neither cold, slimy, or even all that dark. Instead, she felt almost- comforting? Her power was vast, barely leashed, and _definitely_ capable of killing, but it felt like a starfighter wrapped around him, a lightsaber raised in his defense, his troops fighting by his side, and he didn’t understand why she didn’t want to kill him, isn’t that what the Sith wanted? The destruction of the Jedi? 

_‘Hardly.’_ Her voice murmured inside his head and he jumped. He hadn’t realized he’d been broadcasting. Her amusement was like a touch of cool water on his mind, completely opposite everything he’d ever known about the dark side. _‘Not **every** Sith is a mindless beast, wanting only death and destruction. In my case, I simply wish the Jedi would stop trying to kill me, as if they’d actually **talk** to me they’d likely find I am not so different from them.’ _

_‘You can’t be serious.’_ He thought back, trusting the lack of barrier between their minds to carry the thought through. 

_‘Deadly so.’_ Her tone shifted then, becoming more businesslike. _‘But I believe you were searching for proof that either myself or Sidious was lying.’_

_‘I- yeah.’_ He agreed. Suddenly, a series of images flashed before his eyes. A man, tall and broad and with red skin just like hers, but a dead look in his eyes. A voice booming from all around her, though there was no one there, before people with glowing eyes and tortured expressions tried to kill him. An entire world withering before his eyes, all of its energy and life being sucked into a being that was more like a black void. A distinguished looking man with white hair and golden eyes that felt like the same void, ordering his death. World after world stripped bare, some by missiles, some by the same crushing devouring Force presence. 

Finally, the stream of images ended, and he felt himself panting from the force of it. 

_‘What- what **was** that?’ _

Her mental voice was grim. _‘The only two people I have ever known to cheat death.’_ Anakin jolted, feeling hope rise- only for it to be dashed by her next words. _‘The first man you saw was Scourge, the Emperor’s Wrath before me. He served the Emperor for three hundred years. He could not die, but the Emperor exacted a terrible cost for that boon. Scourge could not feel anything. His emotions had been stripped away beneath the chemicals and rituals used to make him immortal, and with them, all color and flavor in life. He was nothing but a machine, bound to the Emperor’s will.'_

Anakin swallowed hard, almost fearing the answer. _‘And the second?’_

_‘The Emperor himself. He ruled the Empire for over a thousand years, moving from body to body as they wore out. He gained the power to do so by stripping a world of millions bare of all life. There is nothing there. Not even the Force. But he wanted more power, and decided that he would do the same to the rest of the universe.’_

Anakin knew he was as pale as a sheet, but he had to ask. _‘So Palpatine-?’_

_‘Planned to turn your wife into an unfeeling monster? Most likely, yes, if he meant to save her at all. In my experience, Masters dislike it greatly when their apprentices have loyalties to any but themselves.’_ Her voice was cool, but not unsympathetic, and somehow, Anakin knew that she understood the pain he was going through. The betrayal of a trusted mentor stabbed at his heart, and he found himself reeling. Andrjin reached out to support him. 

Which is when Palpatine- _Sidious_ \- struck. 

A blast of lightning flung the surprised Andrjin to the side while the Sith Lord summoned his lightsaber to his hand. Anakin cried out as her mind was ripped away from his, and she struck the wall. Her body was limp as it slid down- though she was still alive, he could still feel her. “This is your chance, Anakin.” The man crooned softly. “Strike her down and you will become my apprentice, with access to all my power and knowledge. You know you will be able to save Padmé.” With a jolt the Jedi realized Sidious had not heard their conversation, did not know Anakin knew he had lied. And now that Anakin was searching for it, he could feel it, feel the lies oozing off of the Sith’s Force signature like drops of oil. 

He snarled, feeling the hurt and anger at yet another mentor being untrue- Qui-Gon may not have meant to leave, but he still did, and he had always known Obi-Wan hadn’t wanted him- flood over him. “You’re _lying_!” He screamed, his lightsaber igniting in his hand. Everyone lied, but he thought that he could trust Palpatine, and to find out now that he had lied like all the rest- his eyes flashed yellow, and he hurled himself at the man that now represented all of the pain and anguish he had suffered. Their lightsabers clashed, the man’s sunken face looking shocked, before he abruptly shifted to a delighted smile. 

“Yes,” he hissed, “do it! Embrace the dark side, draw on it and strike me down! You are the Chosen One, the most powerful in the universe, and you will be _mine_!” Anakin jerked back, horrified at the words, and he felt the burning rage within himself extinguish. 

“No.” He breathed. He couldn’t have- he was a Jedi! He didn’t use the dark side. He couldn’t! Sidious’ face was that of a proud parent. 

“But you did.” Sidious insisted. “With you by my side, I don’t need her, I don’t need anyone. And if you join me, I will help you save your wife.” 

Anakin shook his head as he stumbled back. Padmé, Force, what would she think of him? She would never want to be a machine like Andrjin had described, she would hate the very thought of it. And the other option was even worse. 

Sidious extended a hand to him. “Join me, my apprentice.” He invited, looking confident. 

Anakin bared his teeth at the monster in human form that stood in front of him. “Never.” 

A bored look flashed across the Sith’s face. “Then you will die. Pity. You would have been a much better apprentice than Tyranus.” He raised his lightsaber, ready to leap at Anakin, when suddenly he stumbled, a look of shock distorting his already grotesque looks. A beam of pure red light emerged from his chest, incinerating his heart. His body dropped, and behind him stood Andrjin, scorch marks scattered across her breastplate but otherwise unharmed. 

“Force damn Emperors and their kriffing god complexes.” She spat, glaring at the corpse. Her eyes softened as she looked back up at Anakin, and the Jedi realized in a burst of hysteria that he was taller than her. It was a ridiculous thing to notice, but it was all he could think of. A hand landed on his shoulder. It was Master Windu, awake again. 

“Anakin.” The master said softly. “You know attachment is forbidden to Jedi.” Anakin felt as if the iciest wind of Hoth had slithered down his spine. Oh Force, he’d _heard_. “You cannot be married and be a Jedi.” 

Anakin bowed his head. A loud “What!” from the third conscious occupant of the room (Kitt Fisto still lying unconscious from his much more grievous injuries) broke into his thoughts, and he turned to look at Andrjin, who was in turn staring in disbelief at them both. 

“You mean to tell me that you Jedi are now forbidden to _marry_? Force, even in _my_ day your Council wasn’t that strict. I know for a _fact_ their Grandmaster had a son.” 

Anakin jerked at that. She continued, oblivious to their reactions. “In fact, it was practically commonplace for the Green Jedi to marry and have children. Force sensitivity is known to be passed down through genes, after all, and they were all about having more Jedi.” She frowned admonishingly at them. 

“What in the kriffing hells is your Council _doing_?” 

The Skywalker was suddenly struck by the irony of the whole situation- a Sith, lecturing a Jedi Master and Knight about the history of their own Order and their own Council’s failings, and he started laughing. His voice was rather high pitched and a bit cracked, because if he was feeling a bit hysterical, well, who could blame him after what had just happened? 

The Sith in question blinked at him, before sighing and admitting with a smile. “And that sounds _completely_ ridiculous coming from me, I’m sure.” Anakin nodded with a snort. 

“But seriously.” She grumbled. “And I thought the Jedi in _my_ day were stupid.” She suddenly looked up with a frown. “And what was that about the Chosen One?" 

Anakin shrugged. He’d never felt comfortable with the title. “There was a prophecy.” 

He was subjected to yet another incredulous stare. “What.” Her voice was flat. Master Windu had clearly decided that enough was enough, and his hand tightened on Anakin’s shoulder. 

“Some Jedi believe that Anakin is the one who will bring balance to the Force by defeating the Sith once and for all.” His voice was cold, and Anakin could feel him tense, but he did not attack. Probably because it had already been proven that the Sith standing in front of them was capable of beating him easily when he was at full power, never mind when he was woozy from a concussion. 

*********  
Andrjin gaped at them. “That is not the meaning of balance-” she started the sentence before abruptly snapping her mouth shut. Nothing she said on that would make a bit of difference, she could see that in the dark skinned human’s eyes already. And the younger Jedi- the one that had been willing to _listen_ , had trusted her to speak the truth (though she knew that had been helped by her Jaesa-like mind sharing)- wilted beneath the older man’s hand. No, not just his hand, but the weight of destiny the fools had placed on his shoulders. She was reminded once more of Jaesa and the fool Nomen Karr, though she doubted that the young man- Anakin, her memory supplied- had ever been the other man’s Padawan. They simply did not behave like a mentor and student would. 

“Enough.” The older Jedi said. “Sith, you are under arrest. Please come quietly." 

She frowned. “What have I done?” 

With an incredulous look he gestured at the body lying on the floor. “You killed the Republic Supreme Chancellor, and injured two Jedi.” 

Andrjin’s brow furrowed. “Whom you were trying kill yourself, I simply got there first. And I merely kept you from being killed, as you surely would have been if you have fought.” She pointed out logically- after all, two of their number had already been killed before she interfered and she saw no reason why the other two would not have followed shortly, and she said as much. 

The Jedi Master scowled heavily. “We would have prevailed. The Force is with us.” 

“And it was not with him?” She gestured at the body lying behind them. 

Anakin finally stirred himself out of whatever mental world he’d lost himself in. “Master, we can’t arrest her. She has done nothing wrong.” 

“Quiet, Skywalker.” The Master admonished. “You will be dealt with later by the Council.” She frowned as she watched the way the Jedi- who had been so determined and _bright_ when she had allowed him into her mind- diminish, folding into himself. 

“Just don’t punish Obi-Wan.” He said quietly. “He didn’t know.” 

“ _Later_ , Skywalker.” 

Andrjin frowned. “Three thousand years and you Jedi are still using and abusing your apprentices.” 

Oh, that got quite the scowl. She was probably supposed to be intimidated. She ignored him, instead choosing to speak directly to the subject of her comment, wanting to confirm the rather distasteful image forming in her head. “Anakin,” she said. The Sith hadn’t known her voice could get so gentle, but really, he reminded her so much of her own apprentice that it was no surprise at all. “Am I correct in assuming that the wife whom I can feel you love so much, is forbidden to you under the Jedi Council?” 

He nodded slowly, heavily. She frowned. “And I assume your Council will wish for you to renounce her.” 

The Jedi Master- she should really learn his name, but he was obnoxious, so she’d just call him Baldy (and dear Force, Vette had rubbed off on her)- spoke. “It’s the only way for him to remain in the Order. And even then, he will have to be censured.” 

She ignored him again. “Anakin.” She waited until his eyes met hers. “Do you wish to renounce her?” 

The young Jedi gave a full body flinch. “Never.” His voice was hoarse with suppressed tears. “I love her, and the baby. I can’t give them up.” Baldy started at the news of a baby, but when he went to speak she glared at him until he shut his mouth. Good Jedi. 

She nodded, satisfied. “Then as I see it, you have two options. Either you leave the Jedi Order and make your own way,” she pretended not to see the wince he made at the thought “or you change the Order so that is is allowed.” He stared at her, jaw slack, at that. 

Force, why was she giving advice to a Jedi? (Because he made her think of her own apprentice, now lost to her forever, and in some ways of herself, before Asha- _no_ , don’t think of it- and she hated to see another young one lead down a wrong path by his elders. And he was so, so young, still, though she doubted he’d see it that way.) 

Andrjin hesitated, hardly able to believe she was going to offer this, but as much as she hated to admit it, she was entirely and completely alone in this strange new world, and having killed the one that summoned her, was unlikely to ever go back. 

“I can see from your face that the second one will never happen.” She said, and by his wince knew she was right. “But-” she paused, “I may be able to offer a third option.” She could tell that he was paying attention. 

“You could come with me instead. Your wife and child would be welcome, of course,” the Sith hastened to add when his face clouded, “and that way you would not be alone. I am also more than willing to help should you wish to continue learning the ways the Force." 

Baldy was unable to keep silent at that. “If you think I’m going to just sit back and let a Sith go free to rebuild your cursed order-” 

“I have no desire to rebuild the Sith.” Andrjin cut him off sharply. “I had just finished a campaign to destroy the most evil Sith that the order has ever been produced when that fool summoned me. I have been forced to be something I hate by an Empire I tried to love, and I want nothing anymore but _peace_. And should that peace include offering sanctuary to a Jedi that _your_ order has driven to the breaking point, used and abused until there is nothing left- then I have no problem with it!” 

“Lies.” Baldy snapped back. “All the Sith have ever wanted was to destroy the Jedi. I won’t let that happen.” 

She laughed, sharp and biting. “Jedi. Always so self-centered, so arrogant despite your code demanding you be humble. You think the universe revolves around you, when in truth I’d happily have nothing to do with your order ever again. As far as I’m concerned, the only good things your order produced are long gone, with the only one left standing in front of me now.” Andrjin could tell that Anakin was not expecting her to gesture at him when she said that, and it hurt her (too soft, too _soft_ ) heart to think that he was neglected enough to accept praise from one that should be his enemy. 

“You-” Baldy drew himself up with a snarl. But before he could continue, he was cut off by a soft voice. 

“I’ll come with you.” Anakin said softly. It left the other Jedi flabbergasted, his mouth flapping in a most undignified manner. 

“What!” Baldy spluttered. “Anakin, you can’t! She’s a _Sith_. You saw what happened to Dooku when Sidious got him! How can you risk that happening to you? I forbid you under my authority as a Master of the Jedi Council.” 

“With all due respect, Master Windu,” Anakin began (Andrjin still liked calling the man Baldy better), “I formally withdraw from the Jedi Order. I find that I no longer have a place with you that I can call my home, and I wish to seek truth elsewhere.” Here his voice hardened. “As is my right as a citizen of our Republic.” 

He turned to leave, looking over his shoulder at Andrjin, who couldn’t suppress a smile. “We need to go see Padmé. She’ll be able to help us with what to do next. Though, Master Windu?” He said. “I would recommend contacting the appropriate authorities to explain what happened with the Chancellor. I’m sure Padmé would be glad to help you as well, since you were part of removing such a threat to the safety of the Republic.” He paused. “Please do not try to arrest us. We have done nothing wrong.” Unspoken was the message- that they would fight if they had to, and it was not a fight that Baldy would win. 

He turned back to the Sith and gestured at the door. “I left my speeder over there, and we’ll need it to get to Padmé’s apartments. She’ll be able to help us figure out what we’re going to do next.” The Sith- species only, for she was very tired of the order- inclined her head. 

“Lead the way. And?” He glanced at her. “Thank you.” Andrjin said softly. 

He shook his head, and for the first time on this crazy, awful day, he smiled. “No.” Anakin said softly. “Thank you.” He paused. “I think Padmé has a much better chance of surviving me as a retired Jedi than she does me as a Sith, and if you hadn’t been there, I think that Sidious would have won.” He admitted softly. 

“Visions are strange and confusing things.” Andrjin offered. “The Force does things in ways that we cannot begin to fathom.” She paused to think. 

“And perhaps, that is a good thing.” Anakin nodded in agreement. 

**********  
Mace Windu watched them go, disbelief at the way the day had gone roiling through his mind. In all the shatterpoints he had ever seen, this had never been one of them. Behind him, he heard a groan as Kitt awakened. 

He was not looking forward to explaining _this_ to the Council. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chancellor Palpatine is dead, and Padmé is no longer in danger of dying. Now what? The Jedi struggle to regroup after having their world overturned, and there are many decisions to be made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, as you can probably guess, after the way things left off in the last chapter, I decided that I couldn't just leave it as a oneshot. Except I think I've bitten off more than I can chew... Also? I haaaaaate writing Yoda.

Being summoned to an emergency meeting of the Council the absolute second he arrived on Coruscant was not at all something Obi-Wan was expecting. Nor was it something he was looking forward to, especially since there was a certain furrow to Master Windu’s brow that Obi-Wan was used to associating with pinching his nose and exasperatedly asking what Anakin had done this time. Though the misdemeanors of his former Padawan had long since gone beyond configuring protocol droids to speak nothing but Bochi and these days lay more in the realms of ‘Skywalker single-handedly frees a world against orders’. 

He heaved an exhausted sigh, grimacing at his still sooty robes- there hadn't even been time for a quick trip to his quarters to freshen up, and turned his attention back to Master Windu. Whatever he had called them to meet for was surely very urgent. 

Finally Master Yoda- the last of the council to respond- flickered into view, his blue hologram looking grim. “Why called us, have you, Master Windu?” The aged being inquired. 

Master Windu’s face was stark and cold. “Chancellor Palpatine was a Lord of the Sith and, I believe, the Master we have been searching for.” Obi-Wan felt his heart drop like a stone. The fact that a Sith had been in control of the Republic for the last 11 years didn't even bear thinking of. Through the ringing in his ears he heard Yoda.

“Was, say you, Master Windu?” 

The older Jedi Master nodded. “He is dead now.” The rest of the Council jolted, and the Master continued, recounting the events that had transpired only hours ago. “When I went to confront the Chancellor with three of my fellows, we discovered another Sith was present. She was of a species I did not recognize, and did not appear to be affiliated with the Chancellor. She-” and here he hesitated, looking as if he himself could not believe what he was about to say. “She claimed to be from three thousand years ago. The Chancellor’s statements about summoning her seemed to support this. She spoke of an event that I had never heard of before, the Great Galactic War, something I thought to be just a legend.” 

Master Yoda rumbled softly. “Legend, the war is not. Long ago and nearly forgotten, it is. Teach of, our historians no longer do. For someone to reference so easily, unheard of is. For this Sith to do so easily, very unusual without experience, is.” The diminutive Grandmaster settled himself more firmly into his seat and gestured for Windu to continue, as if he had not just validated the idea of _time travel_ , of all things. 

Master Windu nodded shortly. “Then Chancellor Palpatine attacked us. He killed two of our number, Masters Agen Kolar and Saesee Tiin.” Obi-Wan blinked through the haze of his shock, as Master Windu, looking visibly distressed, continued. “He cut them down so easily, I almost couldn't believe it. It was at this point that the second Sith interfered, halting the conflict. She proceeded to interrogate us before attempting to kill the Chancellor. I had expected her to aid him, and was taken by surprise.” 

“To turn on each other, the way of the Sith is.” Master Yoda replied calmly. “The apprentice will always turn on the master.”

“She claimed she had never been his apprentice, and seemed scornful of him.” Master Windu corrected, still looking bewildered by all that had occurred. “It was at this time that Anakin Skywalker, who was the one who had informed me of the Chancellor’s true identity, interrupted the proceedings. He attempted to stop the Sith from killing the Chancellor by attacking, and while she easily stopped him, she did not attack. The Chancellor attempted to kill her while she was distracted, and then tried to convince Anakin to join him, declaring his intent to make the Republic into an Empire, with himself as the Emperor.” 

Obi-Wan felt an icy chill sweep down his spine, and reached out to the bond he and Anakin still shared. It was still there, and while Anakin’s mind was closed to him, he felt the same as he always had. There was no dark side in him. Obi-Wan nearly collapsed in relief. 

“It was at this point that I succumbed to the head injury the Sith had inflicted earlier on me when I tried to attack, and I fell unconscious.”

Obi-Wan frowned. The other Master looked almost pale, as if the next part of the tale was even more terrible than the last. “When I awoke, the Chancellor had disabled the other Sith and was attempting to entice Anakin to join him, stating that he would be able to save Anakin’s,” and here he paused again, looking grim once more. “Anakin’s wife, Senator Amidala of Naboo.” 

Obi-Wan felt his stomach drop as his suspicions were abruptly confirmed once and for all. He silently cursed Anakin- for breaking the Code, for not trusting him, for confiding in a Sith, he wasn't sure which. _’Oh, Anakin.’_ He thought tiredly, resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. 

Master Shaak Ti spoke. “You claim that Jedi Skywalker has violated the tenet against attachment, Master. This is a serious accusation.”

Master Windu sighed. “Anakin confirmed it.” 

“Then we will call Jedi Skywalker and deal with this situation later.” She replied. “Please, continue. I sense there is more.” 

Obi-Wan held back a sigh of his own, feeling a headache swiftly building in his temples. This was an utter mess. The other Master continued his tale. Obi-Wan honestly couldn't see how things could get any worse. 

He shouldn't have tempted fate. 

“When Anakin refused again-” Obi-Wan couldn't help the reluctant pride that flooded through him at that. Even after everything, it seemed that there was at least one thing about Anakin that he still knew and could trust in. “-Palpatine tried to kill him. The other Sith intervened and executed him.” 

“So, the Master of the Sith is dead. That's good, at least.” Obi-Wan offered. Murmurs of agreement from the other Councillors did nothing to alleviate Master Windu’s upset, however, and he kept speaking. 

“When I confronted Anakin about his breach of the Code,” Master Windu looked rather incredulous, “the Sith was surprised and appeared horrified, claiming that in her time it was somewhat commonplace for the Jedi to marry and have children, even stating that the current Grandmaster had a son.” 

“The ancient records do seem to indicate that this was so, though they are considered nothing but speculation by many.” Master Ti commented. 

“It was at this point that the Sith offered for Anakin to leave the Order and, along with his wife and child, come with her. When I objected, she claimed she had no desire to rebuild the Sith, and simply wanted peace.” Master Windu looked troubled. “While I could not sense any lies, I still find such a statement extremely hard to believe.” 

Obi-Wan had to agree with that. In his experience, Sith were rather good liars. 

Master Windu drew a deep breath. “Anakin accepted. He informed me that he was withdrawing from the Order, and then left with the Sith, declaring his intention to visit Senator Amidala. It was at this point that I called for medical aid to attend to Master Kit Fisto, whom had been knocked unconscious, and called this session of the Jedi Council.” 

He was apparently done, and sat back in his chair, looking more weary than Obi-Wan had ever seen him, even after some of the bloodiest battles they had encountered throughout the war. The Jedi darted a glance around at his fellow Council members, and had to suppress a snort. He didn't think anyone would look more shocked than if Master Windu had dropped a bomb. In fact, he was fairly certain several Councilors, himself included, would have preferred an explosive device to the insane tale their fellow Master had imparted. 

“Master Windu.” Yoda finally spoke. “Handled this matter badly, you have.” 

The addressed jerked upright. “With all due respect-” Yoda smashed down his gimer stick.

“Not finished, was I.” Master Windu closed his mouth and nodded. “Come perilously close to committing treason, you were. Come closer to allowing the Sith to triumph, you did. Forced a Jedi Knight out of the Order by not allowing him any other option, you most certainly have.” A mutinous look sparked in the younger Master’s eyes at that, which Yoda forestalled with a single raised hand. “Blameless in the matter of young Skywalker, I am not. Of this Council, all bear some responsibility for failing him.” He sighed, looking even older than his many years. “Spoke too much and listened too little, did I, when young Skywalker came to me. Allowed the Sith too many weak points to exploit, we all did.” Obi-Wan winced quietly at that, recalling his own failings in regards to Anakin. 

“Be that as it may,” Mace replied, “Hindsight is always easy. It is foresight that proves difficult, and our past mistakes aside, as a Council we surely do not intend to simply let an unknown and likely insane Sith roam the galaxy unopposed!” Obi-Wan could see many expressions of agreement at that statement, and he frowned. But before he could speak, Master Yoda took the floor again. 

“What reason have you for pursuing this Sith so?” The green being pressed. “Much pride do I sense in you, and much anger. Anger at having your pride wounded, first by the Chancellor and then by this new Sith.” Mace was speechless for a moment, but quickly parried. 

“The Sith were the reason for this war!” His voice raised for only a moment, but even that break in the normally calm Master’s control was startling, and evidence of how much the events of the past hours had truly affected him. 

“And from your telling that helped end it, a Sith was.” Yoda parried. “A Sith that young Skywalker, who has faced those of the Dark Side before, saw no reason to fear when mistrusted even the Chancellor he did. When mistrusted even _us_ , he did.” The small master settled into his chair comfortably, as if the words he was speaking were not ones that were sure to send the entire Order into turmoil. Obi-Wan did not speak, unsure of what he could even say and not wishing to interrupt the confrontation between the two Masters. 

“Afraid, I am, that failed more than Skywalker I have. Allowed the Jedi to grow complacent and stagnate, I have, and nearly did we all pay the price for it. Without this new Sith, fallen to the corrupt Chancellor, I fear we would have, and lost far more than two masters to his plots.” 

None could deny the truth of those words, Obi-Wan himself included. He had never liked the Chancellor, but he also would never have suspected the man of being a Sith, and the consequences of that had been severe. Undoubtedly the man had masterminded the war they had spent the last three fighting, and used the bloody conflict to award more and more powers to himself. And he had done it all under the Jedi’s very noses. How amusing he must have found it, Obi-Wan thought with a sudden wash of bitterness, to speak to the Jedi he was planning to kill as friends, and to know they never suspected a thing. 

Yoda sighed. “Much to learn, I still have. Learn this lesson as well, you all must.” 

Obi-Wan nodded, and saw several other Councilors doing the same. That had been soundly proven to them all in the last half hour. “Master Yoda,” he spoke up for the first time. “What will we do now? Anakin has left the Order, and I feel we must respect that-” he ignored the stares and scowls sent his way at that, “-and this Sith has not appeared to do anything wrong, but I am uncomfortable with simply leaving them to wander the galaxy.” 

“Trust in the Force, you must.” Was Master Yoda’s response. “This lesson learned, I have as well. Lost to the Light, young Skywalker is not, but his own path he must walk.” His blue holographic form surveyed the rest of the Council with gimlet eyes. 

“What of the child?” Ki-Adi-Mundi spoke up for the first time, his voice quiet but forceful. “Any child of Skywalker’s will undoubtedly be powerful in the Force. Should we not offer them what we could not give to Skywalker and have them raised in the Temple? Surely Skywalker would appreciate it.”

Obi-Wan bolted upright at that, mouth already opening to explain to his fellow Master _exactly_ how that would only drive Anakin further away, and _exactly_ how unlikely (the chances of a womp rat in a sarlacc, incidentally) his former Padawan was to give up his child, but before Obi-Wan could do more than draw a breath, Master Yoda was already speaking. 

The small Grandmaster pinned the Master with a glare. “Trust in the Force, we will. For a reason, everything happens.” He surveyed all of the Masters gathered there. “For now, rebuild we must, and recover. Skywalker, his own path must walk, separate from the Jedi.” 

Master Yoda nodded sharply and once more tapped his stick. “This, my decision is,” he declared, and terminated his connection, the projector going dark. 

Obi-Wan stood. “If that is all masters? I can give my report on the confrontation on Utapau at our next meeting, and I would greatly appreciate a chance to rest and meditate.” 

Master Windu caught his gaze and nodded shortly. “Very well, Master Kenobi.”

Obi-Wan inclined his head and strode out before everything he was thinking had a chance to show on his face. Unfortunately for his body’s wishes, he was not going to his quarters to clean up and fall asleep. He was going to get some answers. 

**********

As the projector blinked off in front of him, the ancient Grandmaster of the Jedi Order sighed, feeling every one of his years. He turned away from the device and eyed the flickering blue shape- though one that had not been produced by any technological device- that stood next to him. “Much to think on, you have given me.” He frowned. “Many lessons, that all must learn. Many there will be that wish to learn, do not.”

The blue shape chuckled. “But they are necessary, old friend.” Qui-Gon Jinn replied, a sparkle in his eye. “The Force is still shaking from the weight of Anakin’s choice today, and as the ripples spread, I think the Jedi will be grateful for them.” 

“Hmph.” The still living Master grunted. “Avoided one disaster, we have, Eager to confront another, I am not.” 

“Then it is fortunate for you that you won’t have to, isn’t it?” Qui-Gon grinned, before sobering. “The Force truly has a plan, Master Yoda.” He said softly. “Trust in it and allow Anakin to become what he was born to be.” 

The green being eyed the Force manifestation of one of his more troublesome Jedi and nodded. “Trust in the Force, I always have. Trust in you, I am not so sure.”

The other Jedi simply grinned. “I think you just don’t want to admit that I was right.” 

“Hmph.” Yoda did not reply further, and Qui-Gon laughed. 

“Take care, old friend. The future is in motion, and those that cannot move with it are liable to get left behind.” With that, his form winked out of existence, leaving the Jedi Grandmaster alone. Yoda eyed the space where he had been before snorting and turning to leave the room. There was plenty for him to do before he could return to Coruscant, and he would need to leave soon. There were still lessons to be learned, even at 800 years of age, and he found himself suddenly eager to start.

**********

A speeder pulled up to her apartment, and Padmé spun at the sound, nearly crumpling with relief when she saw her husband climbing out, looking tired but whole. 

“Anakin!” She cried, and nearly ran to him. “What happened?” 

The Jedi Knight sighed, exhausted. “A lot. Can we come in? There is much we need to discuss.” She blinked at the ‘we’, but nodded.

“Please, come in.” A second person emerged from the speeder and she had to hold back a gasp at the figure. A being of a species she did not recognize, but appeared female, followed Anakin in and Padmé automatically closed the shields that kept her apartment separate from the rest of Coruscant. 

Her eyes examined Anakin’s companion, but Padmé didn’t know what to think of what she saw. The being’s skin was a rich red, and hair of an even darker crimson was bound into a bun on the back of their head. Their face was sharply defined, with bones just a little too pointed to be human, the golden jewelry that decorated their face and neck only serving to emphasize their differences. The being was dressed in black, what looked like some form of armor, and it was scorched in places, though they appeared unharmed. A lightsaber rested on their hip and Padmé felt herself relax. Anakin hadn’t brought a stranger into their home, just another Jedi. 

“Padmé,” Anakin said softly, “this is Andrjin. Andrjin, this is my wife, Padmé.” Padmé froze, her eyes flicking to the strange Jedi. At the look on her face, Anakin actually smiled. 

“It’s ok, Padmé. She already knew. And,” He continued, his voice growing stronger, “it was with her help that I’ve decided to leave the Order. I am no longer a Jedi.”

It was only years of experience in the Senate that kept Padmé’s jaw from dropping at this pronouncement. “What!” She could not hide her shock, nor her dismay. “But Ani, being a Jedi was your dream! You love it, you love being able to help people!” Her eyes dropped. “Why would you give that up?” Her next question went unspoken, the Senator unable to find the courage to ask. _’Was it because of me?’_ She wondered.

The other Jedi- though with Ani no longer part of the Order, she supposed Andrjin was the only Jedi there- shifted her weight and spoke for the first time. “There are more ways to do good than simply being a Jedi.” She said, and Padmé felt a puzzled frown crease her brow at the other woman’s accent. It was short and clipped, though her melodious voice smoothed away some of the sharpness. 

Anakin nodded. “That’s true.” He sighed. “As for why I’m no longer a Jedi… That’s a long story, and part of it is why we’re here. We’re going to need your help.”

Padmé nodded. “You have it.” She encouraged softly, and he gave her a small smile before his eyes dropped, and she realized that they were all still standing by the windows. “Why don’t we all sit, and you can tell me what’s happened.” She suggested, and they all moved to the couch. “Can I get any drinks?” The politician asked, her manners returning after the shocks she’d had. Both Jedi shook their heads, and she joined Anakin on the couch he’d claimed. 

Her husband took a deep breath. “I guess where I should begin is…” He trailed off for a second before regaining his train of thought. “Palpatine was a Sith Lord and behind the Separatist movement. He was using it to gain power so that he could eventually become all powerful and declare himself Emperor.” Padmé couldn’t contain her gasp at that. Anakin gestured for her to wait, and she closed her mouth on the questions and shocked denials bubbling up, and nodded. “He told me this while trying to convince me that if I turned to the dark side, I would be able to prevent you from dying.” She shuddered at the reminder of the nightmares Anakin had been suffering for the past months. She hated them, more for the pain that they caused her husband than what they predicted, but it was still scary. 

Anakin sighed and his eyes dropped to the floor. “I… I considered it.” 

Padmé couldn't stay silent at that. “Oh, Ani, no!”

“I would do anything to keep you safe.” He said, almost harshly, but the eyes she looked into were full of guilt. “But Andrjin stopped me.”

The occupant of the other couch stirred at her name. “I have seen the ‘immortality’ a Sith offers. It is not something to wish on anyone, much less someone you love.” 

Anakin nodded. “She showed me that, and helped me defeat him.” He winced. “Actually, that was the part we needed your help with…” Padmé raised an eyebrow. “He’s, well, dead now, and since I’d really rather we didn’t get arrested for killing the greatest threat to the Republic that I’ve seen…” 

“You came to me.” Padmé completed. “Chancellor Palpatine-”

“Sidious.” Andrjin interrupted. When the Senator shot her an annoyed look, she shrugged and explained. “Palpatine was the mask he used to fool everyone. Sidious was his name as a Sith. His true name, in a sense.”

Padmé nodded in acceptance of the other woman's logic. “Sidious, then. Sidious really should have stood trial for his crimes.”

“And that is what your husband was trying to accomplish.” Replied the other Jedi. “ _I_ was the one who killed him as he tried to kill your husband.” At her look of shock, the other woman shrugged. “He had already killed two of the Jedi sent to arrest him. I was not interested in Anakin becoming the third.” 

Padmé swallowed hard at that. “I… thank you, for that.” Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t quite keep the quiver out of her voice. 

“So you were one of the Jedi sent to arrest him?” She asked Andrjin, and was taken aback at the mirth that spread over the red skinned woman’s face. 

“A Jedi- me?” She choked out. “I’m afraid you are rather mistaken.” Padmé blinked.

“But your lightsaber-” She trailed off as Andrjin stood, unclipping the weapon from her belt, and with a small flourish of her wrist, ignited it. Padmé jerked back, eyes wide, as she stared at the ruby _red_ blade. After a few seconds, the Sith- another _Sith_ , in her apartment- deactivated the lightsaber and reclaimed her seat. Padmé let her eyes close, before opening them and turning to fix her husband with a gimlet stare. 

“Anakin?” She said, her voice falsely calm. “I think you should start explaining. _Now_.”

Her husband took one look at her face and did. Quickly.

Several minutes later, Padmé didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the sheer insanity of it all. “So, just to clarify,” She said, still forcing her voice calm. “You-” she pointed at Andrjin, “-are from over three thousand years ago, and Sidious summoned you here using a ritual holocron created by the Emperor of _your_ time- where there is a whole _Empire_ of Sith- to call his servants, specifically _you_ , to him. Except it’s linked to you only, so when Sidious tried to use it to call Anakin, believing Anakin would turn to the dark side and become his apprentice, he managed to break through time and bring you instead. _You_ , having killed the Emperor that created the holocron, were less than pleased by this and immediately tried to kill Sidious instead, and in the process found out that you had time travelled. You killed Sidious after discovering he was the last Sith, and when you discovered that the Jedi were probably going to punish Anakin for marrying me, you offered that he come with you instead.”

The red skinned Pureblood Sith- species, not Force order, apparently- nodded. “There were several confrontations with the Jedi as well.” She supplied, voice far too calm for what they had been discussing. Padmé couldn’t take it any longer. 

“This is completely insane, you realize that?” She leapt to her feet, pacing, as she nearly shouted the question at the both of them, Jedi and Sith, _in her apartment_. “I- I can’t believe this, it’s crazy, utterly crazy.” 

“I could not believe it myself, when it first happened.” The Sith replied, still in that infuriatingly calm voice. “But it is, unfortunately, true.”

The Senator whirled on her husband. “And you believe her?” She hid a wince at the pitch her voice had reached.

Anakin sighed and nodded. “The Force had done stranger things than this, and,” he shrugged, “I think the Force has a plan for this. I almost certainly would have either fallen or died without Andrjin being there, and I think either event would have been what made the vision the Force sent me come true.” 

Padmé felt herself pale. The vision, it all came back to that, the whole mess did really. “You think it was a warning?” She asked through numb lips, refusing to contemplate the future Anakin had just mentioned. 

“It certainly sounds like one.” Andrjin replied. “While I never experienced one myself, my apprentice’s gift sometimes included aspects that were much like one, and she often spoke of them as such.” 

Anakin shrugged. “That’s what I think, anyway. I mean, the visions about Mom were a warning too, I think, and these were like those.”

Padmé nodded. And then _moved on_. “Anyway,” she said briskly, “Force discussions to the side, there’s still a dead Chancellor and his crimes that need to be dealt with. Preferably without either of you getting arrested, and without the Republic dissolving into anarchy.”

Both Force users nodded. “While I have broken out of prisons before, I would prefer avoiding being a wanted fugitive if possible. I have already spent several years as one, and I was hoping to avoid repeating that part of my history.” The Sith’s voice was dry, but with a hint of humor that Padmé felt herself smiling in response to. 

“We’ll try to avoid that.” She promised. “So, I think the first thing we need to do is release a statement to the press.” She watched both of them flinch a little, and had to suppress a _slightly_ vindictive smile at their clear distaste. “So, here’s what we need to do first-” She began, feeling in her element for the first time in the entire conversation.

Which was when they all heard another speeder dock at her private landing and a sharp voice call out, “Anakin! What in the _blazes_ have you been doing?”

Anakin’s widened eyes confirmed what Padmé already knew. Obi-Wan was here, and he wanted answers.

**********

Obi-Wan, for his part, was quietly fuming as he stared through the window separating the speeder dock from the Senator’s apartment at Anakin, Padmé, and what could only be the mysterious Sith that he had heard so much about an hour ago. He truly couldn’t believe what Anakin had done- Anakin had left the Order (left _me_ , a small, traitorous voice whispered in the back of his mind, where he had shoved the hurt at what his brother in all but blood had done) for his wife, and by the look of Padmé, a very soon to be born child. The Sith sitting there with them as if they were close confidantes was really just the touch that turned this day from strange to truly bizarre. 

With a gesture from the apartment’s owner, the window opened to let him in. “Obi-Wan, hello.” The Senator greeted, looking far too composed for this situation. “Please, have a seat. We were just discussing what to do about the Chancellor’s demise and… everything else.” Now that he was looking more closely, he could see the cracks in her calm that revealed she was not taking this quite as well as she pretended to, but he was not cruel enough to point it out. Not when he was still reeling too. 

He sighed, and did so. Now that Anakin was actually in front of him, whole and healthy and _light_ , if obviously tired, he found he could not maintain the upset that had brought him here. “Very well.” He ran a hand over his beard, and glanced over at the unknown in this whole solution. 

“So you’re the mysterious, possibly time travelling Sith.” He examined her, noting the strange and exotic features, the clearly battleworn armor, the way that she sat poised and redy to move despite appearing relaxed. And yet, when he reached out with the Force, he felt no darkness, none of the malice that clung like a shadow to all the other Sith he had ever encountered. (Palpatine aside- the man had clearly been very careful to hide his inclinations around the Jedi.)

She inclined her head in a short bow, and he blinked at the gesture of respect. “And you are Anakin’s mentor and friend. He thinks very highly of you.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his former Padawan flush a dull red at that, but the younger man did not deny it. 

“Obi-Wan.” Padmé cut in, clearly trying to prevent a confrontation. “Why are you here?” 

The Jedi Master sighed again, feeling as if he was as old as Master Yoda in that instant. “Honestly? To get some answers.” He looked at Anakin. “Why, Anakin? Why did you leave?”

The former Jedi met his eyes, and the look within them nearly stunned him. “Master Windu said that they were going to make me renounce Padmé if I wanted to remain a Jedi. I can’t give her up, Master.” Anakin reached out and grabbed the Senator’s hand, holding it tightly in his own. “I couldn’t do that, Master. I can’t. So if you’re here to convince me to come back…”

Obi-Wan shook his head and smiled wryly. “Since when have I ever been able to make you do anything, Anakin? No, I’m not here to get you to rejoin the Order. Master Yoda was very clear that you had your own path to walk now, and that the Jedi were not to interfere.” 

His former Padawan blinked, obviously shocked by that. The Sith on the other couch raised an eyeridge as well. “I must admit, I had expected your Council to be far more… Militant. My experiences with Jedi are that anyone not following their code are evil, and should you not immediately admit your error and beg forgiveness, they’re more likely to try and kill you than let you go.” She observed with a dryly caustic voice, and Obi-Wan had to suppress a wince. 

“That is not what we strive for.” He replied softly but firmly. “It is Anakin’s decision to be a Jedi or not, and we will not disrespect that.” 

She smirked. “If only more Jedi had an attitude like yours. If nothing else, the other Jedi that confronted Sidious seemed to feel otherwise.” 

“Master Windu is a good man.” He countered calmly. “He believes in doing what is right.” 

“Since when do Jedi view killing anyone as ‘good’?” She inquired coolly. “But I forgot- Jedi don’t really see Sith as beings, only monsters, so how could killing us be bad?”

“All the Sith I have met were monsters.” Obi-Wan shot back, a little more sharply than he intended.

“Does that include me?” She eyed him with arched eyeridges. He sighed.

“Surprisingly, no.” He admitted, and she snorted, but did not say anything more. Anakin was looking between the two of them as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing, and frankly, there was a part of Obi-Wan that couldn’t believe it either. He was practically _bantering_ with a Sith, and neither of them were attempting to kill the other. 

Padmé clapped her hands sharply, disturbing the mildly uncomfortable silence. “Obviously, we can’t announce that Andrjin is a Sith, especially since there's no way we can explain the time travel. Normally, I don't like lying, but we need some way of explaining what she was doing in that office _without_ using the words 'Palpatine summoned her from the past because he wanted a powerful servant', because that will just make everyone think that we're lunatics. Any ideas?"

She turned to look at the Sith in question. A strangely wistful smirk played over the woman’s lips, before she quietly offered, “You could say that I was a bounty hunter hired to track down the hidden Sith lord by a third party that wished to remain nameless.” Her eyes were distant for a moment, but the molten orange irises quickly snapped back to them. “Bounty hunters do still exist, yes?”

Padmé nodded thoughtfully. “They do. But they don’t really have the best reputation, so that might not be the best way to present you.”

“A private investigator.” Obi-Wan found himself offering. “I doubt the Jedi would be willing to claim you as one of their own undercover, but anyone can hire a private investigator.”

The Senator beamed at him. “That’s perfect! She was there trying to set up some bugs when the Chancellor unexpectedly walked in and the confrontation happened. When he tried to kill the Jedi, he also tried to kill her, so in self defense, she killed him.” 

“I assume the Chancellor’s office has no cameras or listening devices?” Andrjin inquired. “Considering I admitted to being a Sith several times throughout the conversation.”

Padmé shook her head. “No, too much of a breach of privacy, not to mention that politically, many of the topics discussed there are of the type no one wants recorded.”

“So…” Andrjin drawled. “We have no proof that I am a Sith- but no proof that Sidious is either.”

“The testimony of a Jedi is still worth something.” Obi-Wan offered.

“Enough to justify the death of the leader of the Republic?” The Sith’s raised eyeridge was getting highly annoying, but the Jedi had to admit her point was sound. 

“It was in self defense. They went there with the intent to arrest him.” He argued.

Padmé frowned. “Did they have a warrant? Jedi don’t normally handle arrests.”

Obi-Wan blinked, before frowning. “Anakin?”

The former Jedi shook his head. “I didn’t see one when I arrived.”

“The Jedi made no mention of a warrant when they first arrived, either.” Andrjin supplied with a faint scowl. “They simply tried to arrest the man, and then he attacked.” 

Padmé rested her head in her hands and groaned. “Wonderful. So, then we have a case of Jedi overstepping their bounds.” she raised a hand when Obi-Wan opened his mouth. “You know as well as I do that that is how the Senate will see it. Attempting an illegal arrest, and then killing the Supreme Chancellor? If it weren’t for the fact that I hate lying, it would almost be easier to blame this on an assassination by the Separatists!”

Anakin jolted upright, his eyes suddenly alight. “That’s it!” Padmé turned to him with a frown. 

“I just said-” He shook his head.

“No, not blaming it on them! We just need to find records documenting that Palpatine was playing both sides, and that when the Jedi tried to get him to turn himself in, he attacked!” 

Obi-Wan blinked. “That- that may actually work. _If_ we can find the evidence.” Anakin grinned. 

“Time to go back to the Chancellor’s office.” 

Obi-Wan just sighed. “You’re not even a Jedi even more and you’re _still_ dragging me into trouble.” Anakin blinked at him.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Master.” He protested, a faint grin playing over his lips. (Obi-Wan couldn't even remember the last time he'd seen his friend so carefree, and it ached somewhere in his chest to know that it took a Sith and leaving the Jedi to bring that spirit back.)

The Jedi sighed. “Of _course_ you don’t.” He waved his hand. “After you.”

 _How_ was this his life again?

Oh right, the Force.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enough. No more. I can't write any more of this. Dang my stupid brain and wanting to actually point out the flaws of the original movie and ending up with so many problems to address because I do't want potholes to bite _me_ in the butt that I end up with writing a chapter of what feels like all exposition! Also, I am highly displeased with the ending, but I'm really not sure what else to do with the situation I set up, aka holding the Jedi accountable for their highhandedness and also trying to reasonably handle the procedure of announcing that one's leader is actually evil and a traitor that wanted to conquer and rule completely.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having solved the problem of exactly how to explain why the Chancellor of the Republic being dead is a _good_ thing, Pamdé and Anakin have a few more hurdles to jump through. Namely, politics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, I got pretty much swamped with school and word and lost my inspiration for the longest time. But then it came back, and I took full advantage to finish this newest chapter!

Bail Organa stared in horrified shock at the information his fellow Senator had just handed to him. “Are you sure this is true?” He choked out, some part of him praying that it was false, no matter how out of character it would be for Senator Amidala to do such a thing. 

She nodded, a grim look on her face. “I noticed some worrying behavior from the Chancellor at a meeting a year ago, and hired a private investigator.” She gave a wince at the reaction he couldn't quite hide, but continued. “At most, I thought that he might have gotten involved in something a little less than legal, like trying to buy votes, or, or being blackmailed! When I tried asking him, he denied that anything was the matter, but it felt like he was lying.” His fellow Senator defended, and the Alderaanian representative conceded the point with a small nod. 

“Still, an investigator?” He couldn’t help the tone of disapproval that crept into his voice at such an underhanded method. Padmé sighed. 

“I didn’t want it to be public in case I was just imagining things. The Republic needed a strong and united government, and I didn’t want to destroy that because of a few suspicions.” She admitted softly. Bail nodded slowly, conceding the point to her. “But what I found…”She looked grim, and he couldn’t blame her. The information contained within the datapad in his hand was catastrophic in its importance, and terrifying in its implications. 

“We’ll need to go public with this at once.” He said briskly. “This isn’t something we can afford to cover up, nor should we. The people deserve to know the truth.” Padmé nodded in agreement. 

“Of course. But we’ll have to be careful. The late Chancellor had many supporters, and there are many that will not want to believe what we have to say.” She cautioned. 

Bail felt a smile pull twistedly at his face. “With _this_ kind of evidence? The only thing we need to worry about is someone trying to resurrect the man for a lynching.”

She sighed, but inclined her head. “Even so…” 

“You’re worried about what the Senate will say about the Jedi?”

Padmé agreed. “Yes. And my investigator. She has no wish to be in the public eye.”

“It may be inevitable.” Bail warned her softly. “She’s the only impartial eyewitness in the whole mess. The Senate will assuredly want her testimony.”

“Yes…” His fellow Senator bit her lip, her smooth mask breaking just a little. Bail frowned, straightening. 

“Senator?” He asked. “What haven't you told me?”

The younger woman sighed. “She’s also the one that killed him, as he was about to kill Anakin.” 

Bail blinked. “I can… See where that would be a conflict, yes. However, as the evidence of the former Chancellor’s guilt is incontrovertible, I sincerely doubt the Senate will demand a trial. Especially since she acted to save a life, in a conflict where Palpatine was the aggressor.” 

She nodded. “I still think that perhaps a signed affidavit from either the Senate or the Courts stating that she will not be prosecuted for her testimony would put her mind at ease.”

Bail eyed his friend and fellow Senator knowingly. “And yours as well?” She did not deny it, instead giving him a small smile and nod. 

“That as well,” Padmé acknowledged. He returned her smile, but it faded as he eyed the documents and holorecordings pulled from Palpatine's private records. He sighed heavily again. 

“I need to call a few people, we need to prepare to bring this to the Senate’s attention. If nothing else, so that we can hopefully call a ceasefire with the Separatists. They’ve been manipulated too, hopefully we can find some common ground with that.” Padmé nodded again, before straightening, her face smoothing as she pulled the authority and poise of Senator Amidala around her like a cloak. 

“I will be making inquiries as well.” She replied. “We will need all the support we can get if we wish to keep the Republic from dissolving into anarchy. You can keep those datapads, they’re your copy of the evidence.” She stood to go and Bail rose as well, escorting her out of his office. 

“As always, a pleasure.” He inclined his head and the other Senator nodded back. 

“Until next time.” She glided away, and he watched her go, noting the Jedi that fell into step with her just outside his doorway. 

He smiled again, before turning back to the mess his fellow Senator had so gracefully landed on his lap. Tapping a few buttons, he quickly placed a holocall. “Ah, Mon, I’m glad to see you. If I’m not interrupting anything, would it be alright for me to stop by? I have something rather important to discuss with you.” Receiving confirmation, he closed the call and gathered up the evidence he would shortly need to present to first a few other Senators, and eventually the entire Senate. The Republic had been blind these past years, but no longer. It was time to start shedding some light. 

**********

Anakin raised an eyebrow at Padmé. “How did it go?” He inquired. She spared him a small smile as they walked. 

“Well enough. He believed me, if that’s what you’re worrying about. He’s making some calls right now, we’ll need support if we’re going to go public with this.” She replied briskly as she continued walking. 

“Where to next?” He was slightly puzzled by how fast she was walking. 

“To see a judge that owes me a favor.”

“Oh?”

“Andrjin will need to testify at the coming hearing. She’s the only non-Jedi witness to the whole debacle with Palpatine, but given her status as the one that killed him, I thought it best to ensure no one would try to arrest her, or look too closely into exactly who she is.” She explained quickly. 

Anakin nodded thoughtfully. The whole thing _was_ a bit of a mess, especially given Andrjin’s own _unique_ circumstances. The woman in question was currently resting in Padmé’s apartment, as she had no place of her own and even Anakin wasn't quite brazen enough to bring a known Sith into the Jedi Temple to offer her his own lodgings (not to mention he soon wouldn’t have a room there anyway, what with quitting the Jedi Order). While they were fairly certain that claiming that she was from some obscure Outer Rim world would suffice for any questions about why she had no official documentation, keeping the Senate on track when they were looking for a scapegoat was not pleasant. It would be much easier to simply head off any such attempts at the pass. When he voiced these thoughts to Padmé she nodded in agreement, before pausing. 

“Anakin?” He looked at her as she paused. “You’ve been acting… Quite a bit more calm and mature lately.”

“Ouch!” He mock flinched, but couldn’t quite hide the smile giving away that it was a joke. She glared at him, though her lips twitched. “Yes. And?” He acknowledged.

“I was just wondering why.” 

Anakin sighed. He knew he’d been acting quite different ever since the confrontation with Palpatine the day before, but he hadn’t expected for his wife to call him on it in the middle of the Senate Tower. “Yesterday, I found out that one of the men that I respected most in the world was manipulating and using me.” He said softly. “I encountered someone entirely different from anyone I had met before, and had almost all of my worldview challenged, without having the benefit of time to think about it.” Padmé nodded encouragingly. “I meditated last night-” He rolled his eyes at her double take. As his wife, she was well aware of his distaste for the practice. “Yes, I know. Shocking. As I was saying, last night, I meditated.” He gave her a slightly bitter smile. “I didn’t really like what I found.” 

His wife gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Anakin?” Her voice trembled over his name. 

“I’d let Palpatine play me for a fool.” The former Jedi continued, his voice soft but unshakeable. “When I look back, the signs are all there.” He shook his head. “I let him manipulate me, and I let that manipulation push me into behavior that, when I look back on it, was stupid.” She put a hand on his arm.

“Don’t be too harsh on yourself, Anakin. We were all fooled by him.” She consoled.

“But none as much as me. Obi-Wan was right when he said the Chancellor was using me, but I refused to believe it.” His eyes were pained when he finally lifted his head enough to meet her eyes. “Padmé, I was ready to condemn you to a life of unfeeling horror just to keep you alive, because Sidious promised that he could keep you from dying. And it’s only because I was lucky that Andrjin was there to tell me exactly how bad of a mistake that would be.” 

“I know.” Padmé said softly. “And I will forever be grateful to her for helping you. However,” and she gave him a slightly watery smile. “None of this has yet told me why you’ve chosen now to grow up.”

“Hey!” He protested, letting her joke lighten the mood. “I told you. I didn’t like who I was, how I’d been acting. So I decided to do better.” 

His wife raised an eyebrow. “Just like that?”

Anakin nodded. “Just like that.” He paused. “There _may_ have been a talk with Obi-Wan. And a few apologies. On both sides, actually. And a sparring match.” 

Padmé chuckled, finally beginning to walk again. “Now _that_ sounds more like the Anakin that I’m used too.” He smiled, before letting his longer stride easily catch up to her.

“Now, as nice as this talk was, may I suggest that the next time you ask me personal questions that you wait until we’re in private?” He gestured at the very public hallway they were currently strolling down. “I mean, unless you _like_ the idea that anyone could overhear us?” He raised an eyebrow at his wife, who, blushing, smacked his arm again. 

“Anakin!” She admonished. He just grinned.

“Wrong arm if you wanted me to actually feel that.” He wiggled the clearly prosthetic fingers at her and she laughed, before reaching in front of him to deal a smack to the other arm. “Hey! That wasn’t an invitation!” The former Jedi protested, chuckling. She mock glared at him for a moment before breaking down into giggles entirely unfitting of the solemn Senator from Naboo. Or so he said, right before dodging another smack at his arm. 

They were still laughing when they reached the doorway of the judge Padmé wanted to see. Anakin leaned on the wall next to the door. “I’ll wait for you here.” He smiled at her. “Good luck.”

She smiled back, before allowing her face to smooth out into her Senator’s mask. She strode in without another word, and Anakin allowed his thoughts to drift back to the night before and his conversation with Obi-Wan.

**********

Anakin barely managed to bring up his training blade up to block his former Master’s hit in time, slightly surprised by the aggression the usually defence oriented fighter was showing. Another flurry of blows rained down at him, and he had to put all of his effort into blocking them. The Force abruptly shouted a warning, and he leapt back just in time to dodge a blow he hadn’t seen coming. He blocked another swipe, and winced as the dull blades grated against each other with a harsh screech. Obi-Wan’s muscles bulged with the effort of forcing him back, a rictus of concentration on his face, and this was not at all what Anakin had had in mind when offering to spar with the Jedi. 

They kept up the furious pace for a few more minutes, before a wrongly angled block allowed the older man’s blade to slip past his guard and smack Anakin harshly in the ribs. The former Jedi bit back a yelp at the force of the blow- he’d have a hell of a bruise later- and ducked below another strike. “Hey!” He protested. While he knew that allowing his attention to slip in the field could be fatal, this was _supposed_ to be a friendly spar. And generally, friendly spars did _not_ include one participant trying to give the other a concussion. He blocked a blow angled at his knees, and with a twist of his blade, forced the other man to let go. The training blade clattered to the floor, and Anakin quickly stepped on it to prevent his partner from simply summoning the weapon back to his hand. “Obi-wan! Enough!” He barked. It rang out through the silence. His former master was breathing far more heavily than the relatively light exercise would suggest.

“What was that about?” The former Jedi demanded of his friend, frowning, and was stunned to see that beyond the glare Obi-wan was leveling his way, tears glinted in the older man’s eyes. The Jedi dragged in a few deep breaths and looked away. The silence that fell was uncomfortably heavy, even the bond still between them blocked off almost completely. They continued to stand there for several minutes, the quiet only growing more choking, before Anakin dared to venture a soft “Obi-wan?”

The man in question turned back to him, and Anakin bit back a gasp at the level of pure emotion his former master wore. The usually reserved (and in his younger self’s mind, cold) man’s masks were gone, and now he simply looked tired, and sad, and a host more of things Anakin wasn't sure how to name. 

“Why, Anakin?” Obi-wan almost whispered into the stillness of the training hall. The younger man couldn't find it in himself to play dumb. 

“I love Padmé, Master.” He admitted softly. “I love her, I loved being a Jedi, and I couldn't give either up.” 

“‘Loved’?” Obi-wan asked softly, and the sadness in his eyes _ached_. Anakin swallowed roughly, and nodded. 

“I'm sorry, Master.” Was all he could offer, even though he knew it was a poor substitute for anything real. The other man just shook his head and sighed. 

“I am the one that should be sorry, Anakin.” He murmured softly. The former Jedi blinked, puzzled, and his confusion must have been written across his face, for Obi-wan smiled tiredly and explained. “You felt you could not trust me or the Jedi, and in that, I failed you both as a Master, and more importantly, as a friend.” Anakin stared. He couldn't help it. He couldn't ever remember Obi-wan being so open with him, _ever_ , and over something like this! Anakin was expecting to get yelled at, not apologized to! It was what had happened in the past, and over transgressions far smaller than this. Apparently he wasn't the only one changed by the events of yesterday. 

“I'm sorry too.” Anakin said in response to his former Master’s words. He sighed. “I'm sorry I didn't trust you more, and I'm sorry…” He paused, trying to think very carefully through how he wanted to voice how he was feeling. “I can't regret loving Padmé, or leaving the Jedi, but I am sorry that I hurt you. I never wanted to.”

Obi-wan’s smile this time was broader, and while the sadness was still there, it was no longer as prominent. “I forgive you.” He said softly, and the bond in the Force between them eased open, allowing Anakin to feel the truth of those words. “Can you ever forgive me?” 

Anakin smiled back. “I already have.” He replied, before adding in a touch of whimsy, “Though Padmé may not, when she sees what you did to me!” He grinned, gesturing at ribs already starting to bruise. Obi-wan winced, a touch comically. 

“Do you think I could just hide for the next several days?” He inquired, eyes deliberately wide, and Anakin couldn't restrain the laugh that bubbled up if he tried. Obi-wan laughed too, and the former Jedi beamed at his friend. He was sure that there was plenty for them still to talk about, old aches made new after everything, but for now, it was enough to joke with his best friend and let laughter begin healing their wounds. A too sharp inhale caused his abused ribs to send a warning twinge up his spine and he winced- well, to heal the metaphorical ones, anyway. 

**********

Loud footsteps behind him pulled Anakin from his thoughts, and he glanced up. Padmé was walking out of the office with a satisfied smile on her face and a new data pad in her hand. “Everything went well then?” He inquired as he pushed off the wall and fell into step with his wife. 

“Yes.” She confirmed easily, waving the pad. “One guarantee of complete immunity for Andrjin for any and all crimes she may have committed in the process of bringing this awful truth about our former Chancellor to light.” 

“Great.” He smiled too, before abruptly sobering. “Now, for the hard part.”

She looked over at him, a furrow forming between her eyebrows. “What's that?”

“Convincing the Council not to blow our story out of the water.” 

They both winced. Obi-wan had told them all exactly how the Master Windu’s report had gone, and needless to say, the Council was unlikely to be friendly to anyone’s request to fudge the truth right now, never mind the fact it was coming from two people sure to be currently on the Jedi’s bad side. 

“This is going to be interesting.” 

Anakin rather thought that was an understatement. 

**********

Mace stared at the clearly insane duo in front of him. “You want me to do _what_?” He drew in a deep breath, praying to the Force that this was some horrific hallucination brought on by the breakfast served in the cafeteria that morning. 

The scene in front of him did not change. 

“We would greatly appreciate it if you would vouch for Andrjin as my personal investigator in the events from last night.” The Senator from Naboo repeated. Anakin’s _wife_ , right in front of him, and how in the kriffing hells the boy had managed to hide _that_ from _everyone_ was a mystery Mace wasn't sure he'd ever be able to wrap his head around. Skywalker was powerful in the Force, certainly, but subtle he was not. Though Mace may have to reevaluate that statement, given the contradictory evidence currently in front of his face.

Said evidence leaned forward, an earnest look in her wide brown eyes. “Aside from Anakin and Andrjin, you're the only other eyewitness from that night. The other Master that survived was knocked out too quickly for his testimony to do more than support that the Chancellor _was_ a Sith, which, while important, won't help the rest of the case we’re building.” 

Ah, yes. That. 

The Jedi Master eyed the datapad they'd offered him the minute they'd entered his chambers, and the legions of evidence- _real_ evidence too, not a single faked holocall or document in the whole mess- of Palpatine’s deeds. The mere idea, much less concrete proof, that the Chancellor had been responsible for most of the galaxy’s misfortune in the past decade and a half, right under everyone’s noses, was going to set more than a few rancors among the herd. With all that mess from that, Mace could almost understand why the couple was reluctant to distract anyone from the real problem by revealing that the person to eventually bring him down had been summoned from over three thousand years into the past- never mind the fact that she was a Sith too. 

Almost. 

They were still asking him to lie, in front of the entire Senate, and by extension, the Republic, to protect a _Sith_. For some _strange_ reason, the Jedi Master was having a hard time with that. 

“You realize what you're asking me to do.” He said flatly. 

Padmé inclined her head. “I do.” She said softly. “And while these methods are normally something that I would never condone-” that Mace could believe. The Senator and once Queen of Naboo was practically famous for her integrity, a rarity in politicians, though Palpatine had certainly proved worse than most. “-but these are circumstances I can honestly say I have never heard of before, and would not have believed even if I had. I find myself prioritizing exposing the late Chancellor’s crimes and ending this war over telling a tale no one ever believe any way.” Her voice was firm, and Mace found himself conceding the point. It was one he would not have thought true either, had he not witnessed the Sith’s confusion for himself. 

“The wheels are already in motion, Master Jedi. The Chancellor’s crimes _will_ go before the Senate. All we ask is that you do not challenge Andrjin’s role in the affair.” Padmé offered him a sympathetic smile, but her eyes were steely. She would not bend on this, and to make matters worse, Mace could understand why not. Padmé Amidala was a woman with something to protect, and he found himself respecting her convictions. 

For the first time since the two had laid out their mad proposal, Anakin stirred from his silently watchful pose next to his wife. 

“We owe her, Master.” He said softly, but with a depth of maturity Mace would not have believed possible for the brash young man yesterday. “I can honestly say that were it not for Andrjin, I would have Fallen, and the galaxy would have followed. Sidious would have made sure of it.” The certainty in his voice shook the Councillor, though he did not show it. Anakin spoke as if he had seen it happen for himself, and Mace found himself recalling a passing mention Yoda had made, that the young Chosen One was occasionally plagued with Force visions. If that was the case here… 

Mace couldn't believe he was about to do this. 

The Jedi Master bowed his head in agreement. “I will speak to the Council and seal the records of the session in question. You’ll get no challenge from the Jedi in this.” He raised one hand to stall their response. “But, I will not lie. Your hearing will have to be done without my testimony.” 

The Senator nodded in acknowledgement. “I understand and thank you for your support.” She said formally. 

“Thank you, Master Windu.” Was all Anakin offered, but it was clearly sincere. 

Mace wondered what made the two so determined to protect the wayward Sith in their midst, but then, Anakin had always been abysmal at the concept of no attachment anyway if Obi-wan’s comments (and indeed, the woman currently seated in front of him proved), so perhaps it wasn't a surprise he'd latched on to someone that seemed as open and understanding as this Sith portrayed herself. While the Jedi would never like the woman that had caused the last few days chain of events, he remembered Master Yoda’s words and decided to watch, and wait. Time would tell if they were right about the Sith- or if he was. 

Feeling the clarity of the Force surrounding him, clearer and calmer than it had been in years, Mace found himself hoping, for once, that he was wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Much. Talking. I'm an action person, how did I end up writing a chapter of nothing but people talking and arguing?! I'm sorry, but unfortunately necessary plot exposition is, well, unfortunately necessary. Also, no Andrjin? WTH? My brain confuses me sometimes.

**Author's Note:**

> And that is that! I'm marking this complete for now, though I may come back later to write an epilogue and the shenanigans that our troublemaking crew is sure to get into (Andrjin is mostly just wondering how she's still picking up companions). Please feel free to ask me any questions or leave any critiques!


End file.
